


Not Listening

by NovaStars42



Series: The Kids Aren't Alright [11]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Cat, Cats, Dave to the rescue, Disciple tried to tell him, F/M, Fourth of July, Grumpy Karkat, Humanstuck, Karkat does not like his dad's new girlfriend, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Parenthood, Party, Past Character Death, Past Infidelity, Slick is a cool uncle, he didnt listen, the signless makes bad choices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-16 23:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7288240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaStars42/pseuds/NovaStars42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat's dad drags him to a fourth of July party where he find out something he could have lived without knowing. He calls his uncle Slick for help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Listening

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty, so I actually wrote this last week when I actually had time. Stuff's about to get bat shit crazy around my house. My goat is getting separated from his mother and hes coming home, I've got a 4 day horse show in less than a week and another horse show this weekend. Wish me luck guys, and enjoy this chapter!
> 
> This is part one of this Fourth Of July Arc. I'm planning two others.  
> Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgIqecROs5M&index=11&list=PLwBvGRZ4qTdnLZHpBumYJM2m92t14U8x6

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“I’m not. And don’t swear at me,” my dad huffed. “Get dressed, Karkat.”

My dad stood in my doorway, Kankri looming behind him.

“I don’t want to go, you can’t make me,” I insisted.

My eyes narrowed. He folded his arms.

“If you're not going, I’m not driving you to the movies Friday.” Dad drove a hard bargain.

I stared at him, and he stared back. He wasn’t going to shave his ugly ass stubble, even though Kankri had begged him to. Dad thought it made him look rugged, or younger, or some other fucking excuse to be lazy as fuck and not shave. He looked like a bum.

I thought I should do something to spite him. I wasn’t sure what just yet.

“Get dressed, Karkat,” my father commanded again, “we’re leaving in ten minutes for the Leijon’s.”

Then he shut the door and I heard his footsteps pad off down the hallway and then down the stairs.

“I know you're there, Kankri,” I spat, not moving off of my bed.

My older brother, clad in one of his million red t-shirts, opened my door and let himself it.

“It’s kind of fishy, don’t you think?” He inquired, fussing with the pockets of his cargo shorts.

“What’s fishy? That dads barking up Mrs. Leijon’s tree so hard the barks falling off?” I snorted. Finally I shoved myself off my bed. I checked my hermit crab’s food situation, turning my back on Kankri.

“You don’t have to be so brash about it,” my brother huffed. “But that’s only part of what I meant. I meant it's fishy that after years of spending the Fourth Of July at home, he suddenly wants to spend it with the Leijon’s. I realize that he is courting-”

“Courting?” I laughed, “they’re probably fucking.”

“Karkat!” Kankri hissed, “would you keep it down?”

I passed him off, going to my closet to pull out a pair of shorts and a shirt. It was too fucking hot for this today. “Whatever. I don’t care. I’m just pissed I have to play nice with God fucking Nepeta.”

“Yes, well… I’ll see you downstairs,” my brother sighed. He shut my door when he left. I got dressed and headed down after him. My family of three walked down the street, down three houses, to the Leijon’s. We passed Dave’s house on the way, and I wondered what his shit family was up to.

My dad let us in, since the door was unlocked, and lead us through the house to the backyard.

The Leijon’s house wasn’t any fancier than ours, just cleaner, and with twice as many cats. Seriously, I counted five just out in the open, and three more on the back deck.

“Good afternoon, Ladies!” My father smiled.

“Signless!” Ms. Leijon looked elated, dropping whatever she was doing to hug him.

Gag me with a spoon.

“Hi there!” Nepeta, the bane of today’s existence, bounced up to us. I rolled my eyes.

Nepeta had always been excitable and happy. Just like everybody else in the neighborhood, I’d known her since I was a kid. As silly as she was, nobody ever made fun of her. She was taller than me, and twice my size. That bugged me.

“Hi, Nepeta,” I returned. She’d always been unnecessarily friendly.

Kankri had already made himself at home with Meulin and her boyfriend. My brother looked intimidated, and I would too with six foot fucking tall Kurloz sitting near me. Shit, he was creepy. It wasn’t even the speech thing it was just his whole person.

“Karkat, do you want to see my kitties?” Nepeta was smiling wide and almost bouncing with joy.

“Why the fuck not,” I agreed. Anything to get away from this awkward mess.

My word choice earned me an unhappy glance from my dad but he didn’t say anything.

Nepeta grabbed my hand and tugged me along back inside the house.

She sat me down on her couch and grabbed up the nearest cat, an orange tabby with a green cat collar.

“This is Pounce de Leon. We pretty much just call him Leon though,” she said, thrusting the cat into my arms. He wiggled and clawed at my arm, but Nepeta just shoved him back down until he was laying nicely in my lap.

“Bastard,” I muttered, examining the hairline scratches on my skin.

“This is Princess,” Nepeta chirped, reaching under the couch and pulling out a big black cat like some kind of weird magic trick.

“I don’t want to hold her,” I hissed as Leon squirmed out of my arms. I let him go.

“That’s okay,” Nepeta smiled. She sat the cat down on the sofa and left for a minute, walking to the nearest cat tree and pulling a laser pointer out of some hidey hole. She tossed it to me, still smiling.

I pressed the button and the little red laser shot out the end, attracting the attention of Leon, Princess, and two other cats. Nepeta and I played with them while the rest of our families stayed outside, cooking or talking or whatever. The house was air conditioned so I think I probably got the best end of the deal.

Nepeta had another cat toy, a mouse on a string, and she was playing one on one with another white cat.

After about an hour, my dad called us outside to eat. He’d made hot dogs on the grill, and Ms. Leijon prepared potato salad and a bunch of other great American picnic food. It was so stereotypical it was annoying.

I stayed outside after dinner, sitting on the deck with my feet hanging off the edge. It was getting dark, and Meulin had mentioned something about fireworks in her garage. Nepeta had abandoned me to join our siblings. The teenagers had started a bonfire and were making s'mores. I didn’t want any part in any of it.

Meanwhile my dad was curled up with Nepeta’s mom behind me, on the porch swing. It made me sort of sick.

It set wrong in my gut that he just decided to spring this whole thing on us. Kankri and I knew they’d been seeing each other, but my dad had never even mentioned it to us. Like it was some grand secret. How it could be, I didn’t know. The car was constantly parked in the Leijon’s driveway. 

“Karkat,” Ms. Leijon’s voice called. I turned around to look at her and she motioned me closer. My dad had his arm slung around her shoulder. It made me nauseous.

I got up and crossed the deck to her.

“Why don’t you go sit with the other kids?” She questioned.

I shrugged. “They’re insufferable.”

That made her laugh a little. “Okay. Would you rather go inside and watch a movie or something?”

That was cool of her, actually. “Thanks, Ms. Leijon.”

“Call me Disciple,” she grinned. I scowled.

“Hold on,” my dad spoke up. “Before you go, I’d like to say something.”

“Are you sure thats a good idea?  _ Now?  _ ” Mrs. Leijon asked quickly, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Positive,” my dad confirmed, and then he stood up. “Kids, come here for just a second.”

Oh fuck.

My mind rushed. They were gonna get fucking married or some shit. This was the worst day of my life. My stomach did flips. Nepeta bounded up to us. Kankri, Meulin and Kurloz stayed seated, but my dad had their attention.

“So, I’m not exactly sure how to tell you all this,” he cleared his throat, “and I suppose there’s no easy way to say it.”

“Motherfucker, please,” I growled, “ spit it out.”

I thought he might yell at me or something, but Mrs. Leijon put her hand on his arm.

“Signless and I are together,” she began carefully.

“We sort of got back together,” my dad continued. He was looking sort of nervous now. “As in, we were together before.”

“Yes,” Ms Leijon agreed, “about seventeen years ago.”

Hold on. My dad was married to my mother seventeen years ago. My mom would have been pregnant with Kankri. Wait just a goddamn minute.

“Are you saying you cheated on my mother with her?” I spat. I could feel my face turning red. My knuckles clenched so hard they were white.

“Karkat,” my father warned.

“No! You're going to fucking listen to me! Are you saying you cheated on my mom with her?” I was screaming. I was sure the whole neighborhood could hear me. I could see my dad wanted to scream back.

“That’s what happened,” Disciple confined, cutting him off before he could yell at me.

There was a long, awkward pause before she began speaking again. “Girls, Signless is your father.”

I absolutely fucking lost it.

“You mean to tell me while my mother was dying of fucking cancer you were running around having kids with, of all people, with her?” I shouted, “I never even got to fucking know her and you took her for granted?”

My dad swallowed hard. “We should have waited to tell you.”

“Fuck you! You douche sucking, dog humping shit for brains! Fuck all of you! I’m going home!” I threw my arms up in the air and screamed. I almost ripped the door off the hinges on the way out.

I didn’t remember walking home, or entering my house. I remembered crying though, sobbing into my arm.

Disciple Leijon was not my mother and she never would be. Fuck, how could he? How could my dad just, just do that? To me? To my mom? To his other two kids? How do you live across the street from two of your children and just not tell them?

I had a headache from crying. I wiped the snot from my nose with a dirty shirt.

I got myself back in check, and took some Advil for my head. I felt like I wanted to cry still, but my head said otherwise.

I couldn’t stop thinking about my mom. All the pictures of her were stowed away somewhere out of sight. Out of mind. Nothing of hers was left in the house. Dad didn’t talk about her. Kankri didn’t even remember her.

I knew somebody did though. I picked up my cell phone, and dialed my uncle in New York. My mother’s brother could tell me about her.

His gruff voice came over the speaker within a few rings. “Hello? Just who the fuck is callin’ me at this time a night? I work first shift!”

“Uncle Slick? It’s me, Karkat.”

“Oh. Hey, Karkat,” he yawned, much less offended, “How you doin’ kid?”

“Can you tell me about my mom?” My words felt like vomit, “anything, just tell me anything about her.”

“Your motha, eh?” He sounded pretty deep in thought, “yeah sure. I’ll tell ya about her.”

I could feel my lip quivering. I didn’t want to cry again.

“I’m sure ya dad told you her name was Stella. Everybody called her Snowman though. She liked nicknames, but don’t ask me where that one came from.”

I just let him talk.

“She didn’t take shit from nobody, and I mean nobody. She was fierce. She never lost an argument. We used to fight like hell when we were kids! And she fought with your dad sometimes too.”

“Did,” my voice cracked, “did she love my dad?”

“A'course she loved your dad! She used to say, ‘you know brother of mine, he ain’t perfect but neither am I.’ She used to say that all the time.” Uncle Slick sounded so sure of himself. I figured this was the closest thing to the truth there was.

“And you know somethin’ else?” My uncle asked rhetorically, “she loved you. You was only six months old when she died, but she held you every minute she could. They found the cancer when she had you, and it was already too late. That didn’t stop her from bein’ the best mom she could while she was here.”

I tried to keep quiet, but I couldn’t stop the whine that escaped my lips. I put my head in my hands, trying to hold back my tears.

“I got some pictures of her, and I think maybe a video, if you want 'em,” my uncle offered.

“Please,” I squeaked.

“Sure thing kid,” my uncle sighed. “I’ll get 'em in the mail tomorrow. I gotta go kid, I work in three hours.”

“Thanks. Bye,” I managed. He said goodbye too, and we hung up.

I think I just laid there on my bed, exhausted, for another ten minutes before my phone binged with a text message.

<< From: Strider Message: hey, I don’t know where your at but you could be at casa de strider here, holding the worlds cutest puppy. Timestamp: 9:45 >>

<< From: Strider Message: his name is Hal Timestamp: 9:45>>

Enclosed was a picture of a little black pug puppy. I could see his sister Roxy’s chin and skinny arms in the picture.

<< To: Strider Message: where the fuck did you get that thing? Timestamp:9:45>>

<< From: Strider Message: mom brought him home. Best part of today was dad didn’t fight her about him. Get your ass over here and pet him. Timestamp: 9:46>>

<<From: Strider Message: come on roxys sober and dads being nice and dirk has fireworks hurry it up Timestamp: 9:47>>

<<To: Strider Message: keep your too tight hipster pants on! Jeez! Desperate much? Timestamp: 9:47>>

I got up and slipped my shoes back on. Anywhere with Dave was better than here.


End file.
